Velvet glanced nervously at Jerard before sitting down on the sofa, hoping he would sit down beside her to give her support. He didn’t. He sat in one of the armchairs, his long legs stretched out in front of him, a bored expression to his face.
As if on cue the housekeeper wheeled in the tea-trolley, smiling at Velvet before leaving the room again.
‘Would you like to pour, Velvet? I may call you Velvet, I hope?’ Sarah Daniels enquired politely.
‘Of course,’ she nodded.
Sarah Daniels held up arthritic hands. ‘I’m afraid these don’t work as well as they used to,’ she explained the reason for asking Velvet to deal with the pouring of the tea.
She sat forward, pouring three cups of tea, adding milk and sugar at Mrs Daniels’ request, automatically handing Jerard unsweetened tea with a slice of lemon.
‘Oh,’ she stopped in the process of giving it to him, frowning her puzzlement, ‘I—er—’
‘This is fine, Velvet.’ He took the cup from her hand. ‘Exactly as I like it.’
She blinked hard. ‘But I—How did I know that?’
His smile openly mocked her. ‘Guesswork?’
She flushed at his unmistakable sarcasm, and hastily took a sip of her own tea, burning her mouth in the process. Jerard’s expression still mocked as she glanced up at him nervously. She had no idea how she had known the way he liked his tea, but it was obvious how he thought she had known. As far as Jerard was concerned she had just added to his conviction that she was lying about forgetting the past—their past.
‘My son tells me the two of you met in Florida.’ Mrs Daniels spoke again.
‘Yes,’ Velvet acknowledged tautly.
‘I’m surprised at the extent to which Vicki is clinging to you. She doesn’t usually take to people in this way.’
‘I like her too,’ Velvet said shyly.
‘I was wondering—’
‘Mother!’ Jerard cut in abruptly. ‘Any arrangement Velvet and I make about Vicki will be made by us.’
‘But I was only—’
‘Mother!’
She was silent with effort. Velvet looked at the silent battle of wills that went on between mother and son. Jerard obviously beat his mother hands down.
‘I would love to see Vicki at any time,’ she said into the strained silence.
‘Tomorrow?’ Vicki asked eagerly as she and Tony came back into the room, both of them eating a chocolate biscuit.
‘Not tomorrow,’ her father refused before Velvet could speak. ‘I’m sure Velvet has to work.’
‘But Tony goes with her,’ Vicki pouted.
‘Tony is—’
‘I think it will be all right, Jerard,’ Velvet cut into his refusal firmly. ‘I’m only going to finish off the photographs for Paul. I don’t think he would mind Vicki coming with Tony and me.’
Vicki’s face glowed. ‘I really can go with you?’
Velvet looked at Jerard, noting his harsh disapproval. ‘The final decision lies with your father.’
‘Daddy?’ She looked at him hopefully.
He sighed impatiently. ‘If Velvet doesn’t mind then neither do I.’
‘I don’t. I—No, Tony,’ Velvet ordered as he made a beeline for Mrs Daniels’ silky dress with his sticky fingers. ‘No!’ and she laughingly scooped him up into her arms.
Mrs Daniels stood up. ‘I’ll take him into the kitchen and wash his hands.’ She took Tony into her arms. ‘And you too, young lady,’ she ordered her granddaughter. ‘You have more cholcolate around your mouth than must have gone inside it! Come along,’ she instructed briskly, taking them both out of the room.
Velvet looked nervously at Jerard, biting her bottom lip as he scowled back at her.
‘You don’t have any sense at all, do you?’ he rasped suddenly. ‘Vicki will never let you go as long as you continue to encourage her.’
‘Oh, I didn’t—’
‘You did, damn you,’ he snapped, standing up to pace the room. ‘Vicki has just begun her school holidays for the summer, if you aren’t careful she’ll want to be with you every day of it.’
‘I was only trying to help.’ She flushed. ‘You said I had a responsibility, that—’
‘Oh, shut up, Velvet,’ he said tersely, pulling her roughly into his arms. ‘Just shut up,’ he groaned before his mouth came down, on hers.
For the first time since their meeting a week ago Velvet kissed him willingly, her arms going up about his neck as she arched against him. The kiss gentled, as he slowly savoured the taste of her mouth, his hands softly caressing her back.
He raised his head, looking down at her with dazed blue eyes. ‘Velvet?’
She looked up at him. ‘Yes?’
‘Nothing.’ He put her firmly away from him, turning his back on her. ‘My mother and the children will be back in a moment.’
And he didn’t want his mother to see him kissing her! Her smile was forced as Mrs Daniels and the children returned, the latter noticeably cleaner. ‘I think Tony and I should be going now,’ Velvet suggested lightly, studiously avoiding looking at Jerard as she said it.
‘Won’t you stay to dinner?’ Sarah Daniels invited.
She shook her head. ‘I should get Tony home to bed soon. It’s been a long day for him.’
‘Of course. I—Jerard, what do you have on your mouth?’ His mother touched a tissue to the side of his mouth.
‘I’m not a child, mother,’ he growled, flinching away.
‘No, dear,’ his mother smiled, her eyes twinkling merrily. ‘But this plum shade really isn’t your colour, Jerard,’ she teased. ‘Now on Velvet it looks lovely, but on you—’
‘All right, mother,’ his scowl increased. ‘You’ve made your point. Let’s go,’ he told Velvet curtly, swinging Tony up into his arms, a Tony who no longer seemed surprised by the amount of new people he had met today.
‘Can I come?’ Vicki asked hopefully.
‘Stay and keep Grandma company.’ Jerard’s voice softened as he spoke to his daughter. ‘You’ll be seeing Velvet tomorrow.’
‘Yes,’ she grinned, ‘I will, won’t I?’
‘Nice and early,’ Velvet warned. ‘I’ll call for you at eight o’clock.’
‘I’ll see that she’s ready,’ Mrs Daniels promised.
Velvet glanced apprehensively at Jerard during the drive to her home. He looked ready to explode! And she knew why, her mouth
